On Giving

Today I met a friend at the park and we enjoyed some chillin' conversation while our kids played for a couple of hours. Then we were met with a proposition from the church staff ...to deliver Christmas cards to the shut ins that were unable to pick up their cards from the church Christmas card post office. After dropping of a few of the kids, we piled the rest of them into the car and headed out to drop off the cards.

Before the third drop was made, the kids had already received candy from one of the recipients. The homebound engaged in conversation with the kids and welcomed the cards. You could tell it was a day brightener! It was so nice to see them smile as they opened the door to the kids and welcomed the cards.

It really doesn't take a lot to make someone's day. Many times I get so caught up in my own life and stuff that I don't make time to think about the things others might need outside my family. Something as little as delivering the cards to the shut-ins reminded me that even little thoughtful acts can brighten the life of someone who rarely is able to get out in public.

This has been a consuming thought in my mind recently. Being in ministry the last 17 years, people might get the idea that serving happily comes with the job. Contrary to that thought is the obvious truth that just because you perform a task doesn't mean it is done with an attitude of Christ. If I do a task with a poor attitude does it really count for Christ? Sure, God uses us in spite of ourselves sometimes, but how much more could really be done for the kingdom of God if our service was done with a cheerful, encouraging, smiling, joyful, servitude attitude? I wonder.

I was thinking about this as we drove around town, searching for houses, singing Christmas carols, enjoying the company of friends. God gives us these wonderful opportunities to share in His service and we rarely take the opportunity to jump in and enjoy them. Long faces, obligatory service and bad attitudes should take a back seat to the wonderful experience that serving God is. To see the smiles on the faces of those we took cards to was reward in itself for doing something that gained me nothing....or did it????